Deakin, Gordon face enrolment, funds hits

By John Van Klaveren
GEELONG’S two main tertiary institutions are battling falling enrolments and funding cuts, emails to staff have revealed.
Deakin University told staff 2012 student applications were down on 2011, while Gordon Institute of TAFE warned of a “negative impact” from state funding cuts.
Deakin arts and education faculty general manager Alice Di Pasquale told staff the faculty’s applications were down eight per cent on the same time last year.
“This is a decrease of 1647.”
Ms Di Pasquale said applications for Geelong’s Bachelor of Arts media and communication course had fallen 20 per cent.
Applications for Geelong’s courses in primary teaching and professional and creative writing were down 18 and 16 per cent respectively. Other Deakin campuses also recorded declines, with applications for some Burwood and Warrnambool courses down as much as 37 and 26 per cent respectively.
Geelong courses to increase between three and seven per cent included Bachelor of International Studies, commerce and criminology.
Deakin’s Faculty of Health had two per cent less total applications but the faculties of business and law and science and technology were up five and 11 per cent respectively.
Total Deakin applications were down about 57 on the previous year.
Ms Di Pasquale said the university was working on marketing campaigns to increase applications.
Gordon chief Grant Sutherland told staff that State Government TAFE fee changes would “clearly have a negative impact on our funding”.
Courses targeted for funding reductions included business, clerical, finance, hospitality, property services, recreation, tourism and wholesale and retail.
Mr Sutherland said the Government had removed minimum and maximum fee caps, affecting around 20 per cent of students who could be charged for the full cost of training.
Apprentices would face increased costs from the removal of fee subsidies, he said.
“The Gordon was already facing a difficult 2012 budget with decreased funding rates. Clearly there is a negative impact and acknowledge this is unsettling for staff.”